The Other Side of the HP: Book 6
by canyouimaginethis
Summary: Many new things are happening in Mona, Vera, and the twins' lives. When the Tri-Wizard tournament arrives at Hogwarts, Fred and George use it to their advantage and their twin best friends have to keep them out of trouble while still having fun. Book 6
1. Chapter 1

**The Other side of the HP**

 **Book 6**

 **Chapter One**

 **New**

Summer was a little bit different this year than other years. A lot of new things happened.

First: Christine and Percy were pretty much non-existent in our family lives. They kinda just left and we're pretty sure that unless they have to, they won't be back, at least for a while.

Second: Claire's pregnant. She and Michael decided to start their family last school year. The baby is due in February of next year. Everyone's excited.

Third and Final thing that's new around is that George and Mona are dating. Well, they haven't come out and said it yet, so technically they aren't. But they practically are.

Whenever we do something with the twins, they sit together. George sometimes wraps his arm around her. When we leave, they always hug. ALWAYS. I think I've even seen them hold hands once. See, their pretty much dating, they just haven't admitted it yet.

But everyone KNOWS. They're SO obvious.

I love them, though. Mona seems to be in the best of moods pretty much all the time now. Fred says the same thing about George. We think they look good together, but who are we to judge? We're basically looking at our reflections so of course we're biased.

"I don't know they haven't said anything yet. Maybe they're just nervous or something. Some people feel uncomfortable about talking about their relationships." I talk to Fred. Fred and I are walking from the Burrow. We had had lunch there and we were now on our way back to the tree. Mona and George said they would meet us there.

"I don't know, maybe." Fred says, tucking his hands in his pockets as we walk.

"I hope they say something before Hogwarts. If they're just going to awkwardly 'not' be together it's going to drive me insane."

"I'm pretty sure they will. I mean, there's a few weeks until school starts again. But I assume they would."

"It just seems practical to me."

"Same. But who knows? Maybe Mona will be pregnant by the time school starts. Then they'd have to talk about it." Fred chuckles. I hit him on the arm.

"You're not funny." I say, trying to fight back a smile.

"Yeah. Actually, I really am." He looks at me and my smile breaks onto my face. He stops and turns to me, grinning. "Ha! I knew it could break you!"

"Oh shut up!" I say as I'm still smiling. Fred goes back to walking, a smug look on his face. "You're really proud of yourself, aren't you?"

"You know it." We reach the tree and Mona and George are already up in it. "Hello Lovebirds!" I yell up to them.

"Mona and George, sitting in a tree-" Fred teases, pulling himself up to them.

"Aw, shut it, Fred!" George replies. Fred just laughs, sitting himself down next to me in the tree. His usual spot is currently occupied.

"So," Mona changes the subject, "Excited for school?"

"Yep. I can't wait to pummel Slytherin this year." George replies.

"You say that every year."

"Because I want to. Every year."

"I mean that is very true." I break into their conversation.

"And Flint isn't here to drive us mad." Fred adds on.

"Aw, yes!" George exclaims.

We talk for a while before Mona and I have to go. Mother said we have to start helping even more around the house, which is fine, we don't really mind it. Mum just has us start dinners every night. Not too bad.

"Don't forget, next week we're at the World Cup!" Fred calls down from the tree.

"We won't! Have fun! Bye!"

"Bye!" I turn and look at Mona, who's saying goodbye to George. He's still in the tree, but on the lowest branch. He's just leaning down a little bit to talk to her.

"Stay safe." She says.

"I'll try."

"I'm serious."

"I know."

"Bye."

"Bye." He leans down and kisses her, just for a second. A peck. I turn around and look at Fred.

"Finally." He mutters. George looks up from Mona and at his brother.

"Aw, shut it, Fred." We laugh and Mona and I walk off, Moa blushing from ear to ear. I smile.

It's about time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **The Quidditch World Cup**

Early the next morning, I wake up and look out the window. The sun is barely over the horizon. From my window I can just see the top of the Burrow. The trees block out most of it. After about ten minutes, I see a group of people walking from the Burrow and into the woods. I smile and wave slightly, even though I know nobody can see me.

Thanks to Atin, I got the newspaper, the Daily Prophet, delivered to me. I kept track of the tournament. Honestly, I think the Irish are going to win. I know Fred and George are HUGE Irish fans. Fred sent me an owl, talking about how they took a portkey and how Mr. Weasley didn't tell them how to properly use it. I laugh a little.

"Hey, Vera," Mona says to me one afternoon, "do you want to go check on Mrs. Weasley? She must be terribly lonely in that house by herself."

"Yeah, sure. Let's go." Mona and I leave a note and head out to the Burrow. She knocks on the door when we arrive and Mrs. Weasley answers it.

"Oh, my dearies, come inside, quick!" She opens the door, and looks out. When she doesn't see what she's looking for, she turns back to us and starts pacing.

"Is everything alright, Mrs. Weasley?" Mona asks, concerned.

"No, everything is terrible! Haven't you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"About the attack?"

"What attack?" I speak up.

"At the World Cup! Death Eaters, they attacked everyone there! They left the Dark Mark in the sky. People are dead, injured, missing!"

"What?" I feel something inside me clench. "Is everyone alright?"

"I don't know. I haven't heard from them. They were supposed to be back this morning. If anything happened to them, I-" she sits down in a chair, crying. Mona and I run to her sides, kneeling beside.

"Mrs. Weasley, your family is strong and resourceful. I'm sure they're okay." Mona tries to comfort her.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley, they are. They might just got caught up somewhere." I add on. Mrs. Weasley looks at us both.

"Thank you, dearies." She has a small smile on her face, tears still leaking out of her eyes. She pats our arms. The door to the Burrow opens and Ron and Hermione enter, followed by Harry, Ginny, and Fred. Arthur comes in last. Mrs. Weasley gasps and runs up to her husband, kissing his face.

"Oh, Arthur!" she cries. She then hugs and kisses every single one of the kids. She looks back up at Arthur. "Where's George?"

"Showing Mr. Diggory his way out of here. He'll be in any second now." The door opens and George walks inside, removing his Irish hat. Mona runs up to him and kisses him, full on the mouth. She wraps her arms around his neck and he drops his stuff, hugging her back. Everyone just stops and stares for a moment. The two finally break apart and realize where they are. The blush profusely.

George wipes his mouth with his hand and begins to speak.

"Yeah, um, Mona and I are dating." He beams at her, and then at his family.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Visitors**

"I mean, what a way to tell everyone. Honestly, I don't think I could've have done it better myself. You two really wanted to prove a point." Fred says sarcastically while reading the Daily Prophet. He takes a bite of an apple.

"Okay, Fred, it's been days. I think you need to let it go." I say.

"But why?" He asks, setting down the paper. He looks at the two of them sitting across from us. "It's funny."

"Maybe the first three times you mentioned it, but it's starting to lose it's touch."

"Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?" He looks at me in a defiant, joking way. I snatch the apple out of his hand and cross my arms.

"You can have this back when you agree to let it go." I say. Fred sighs.

"Fine." I smile and hand him back his apple. He squints at me then turns back towards the window, taking another bite.

"So, how does it feel, you guys? Letting everyone know?"

"It's honestly better than I thought. People seem happy for us and don't really seem to mind it. I was scared people would act weird around us." Mona answers, looking at George. He has his arm wrapped around her.

"Yeah, but it seems the only one acting weird is Fred." George turns and looks at his brother after he says this. Fred looks up at him.

"Hey!" George chuckles.

"I knew that would set him off." The three of us laugh and we arrive at Hogwarts. When we arrive, we see something flying towards the school.

"Is that a Pegasus?" Mona asks, pointing at the sky. A carriage lands roughly on the runway.

"That's something you don't see every day." George exclaims.

"Look at that!" A younger kid cries. We turn around and ship is coming out of the water. The teachers then move us all to the Great Hall.

The Great Hall has extra tables in it, for some reason, but the Sorting ceremony goes as usual. Then, Dumbledore makes a speech.

"This castle won't just be home to you this year, but for some very special guests as well. You see-" He stops and Filch mumbles stuff to him. Filch then runs back down the aisle. Fred and George snicker.

"So, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Tri-Wizard Tournament!" The twins look at each other, obviously excited. Dumbledore then explains what the tournament is to us. "But more on that later. Please help me in welcoming, the lovely ladies of the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and their headmistress, Madame Maxine!" The doors to the Great Hall open and several girls in blue dresses and caps walk in and begin dancing. One girl, obviously younger, is doing tricks and another bows with her as we applaud. Madame Maxine walks in and Seamus nudges Ron.

"That's one big woman." He mutters. And he's right. She's a giant. Dumbledore kisses Madame Maxine's hand and runs back up, making another announcement.

"And now welcome our friends from the North, the proud sons of Durmstrang and their high master, Igor Karkaroff!" A bunch of boys walk in, carrying and spinning staffs. They bang them on the floor and sparks fly, literally. They then run forward and two more men appear. One the high master, the other, a student that I recognize.

"Blimey, it's him!" Ron cries. "Viktor Krum!"

After the other schools take their seats, the feast begins. After a few moments, Professor Dumbledore calls up Barty Crouch Sr., a worker for the Ministry of Magic.

"The ministry has concluded that, for their own safety, no student, under the age of seventeen, should be allowed to put forth their name in the Tri-Wizard tournament." He says. The cafeteria explodes with yelling.

"That's rubbish! That's rubbish!" Fred and George cry. Dumbledore steps forward and yells to silence us. He then pulls off a cloth and reveals the Goblet of Fire.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **The Goblet of Fire**

"We are putting our names in that Goblet, George." Fred says, turning through a potions book. We're sitting in the common room.

"No you're not, you heard what Dumbledore said. You're not old enough." Mona tells them. George looks up at her.

"We're sixteen! We should be allowed! We're practically adults!" George goes back to help his brother with the book.

"Found it!" Fred cries, pointing to something in the book. He turns it around to show Mona and me, who are sitting on the couch opposite of them. "An aging spell!"

"Brilliant, Fred!"

"Brilliant, George!"

"You know Dumbledore probably won't make it that easy." I point out. They look up at me.

"But we've found a way to cheat the system." George replies.

"And it's going to work." Fred adds. I roll my eyes.

"Alright. Do you need any help?" I give in, offering to help them. Who knows? Maybe this will actually work.

"Yeah, come on. Let's get started."

Mona and I go ahead of Fred and George to the Goblet of Fire. We watch others put their names in. The twins were just finishing the potion. We cheer as people bravely put their names in. Suddenly, we hear yelling from the door way and people begin cheering. We turn to see Fred and George running in, holding up vials of the potion.

"It's not going to work." Hermione announces. Fred and George walk up to her.

"Oh yeah?" Fred challenges.

"Why's that, Granger?" Gerge asks. Hermione sets down her book and shows them the Age Line.

"Dumbledore drew it himself." She replies.

"So?" Fred asks. Hermione scoffs.

"So," she says confidently, "a genius like Dumbledore couldn't possibly be fooled by something as pathetically dimwitted as an Aging Potion."

"But that's why it's so brilliant-" Fred starts.

"Because it's pathetically dimwitted." George finishes. They laugh and stand up, uncapping their potion vials.

"Ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George!" They cross their arms that hold the potions.

"Bottom's up!" They say together, downing the potions. They jump over the Age Line and nothing happens. We begin to cheer. The walk around, gloating and then put their names in together. They high five and everyone cheers. Suddenly, the Goblet spits out fire and Fed and George are knocked outside of the line. They sit up and have full white beards and white hair. They begin to fight, accusing each other. Everyone is laughing.

Afterwards we walk back to the common room with the twins, still white haired and bearded. The twins are so embarrassed.

"Aw, I think you look kid cute with white hair and a beard." I tease, pulling on Fred's beard. He looks down at me.

"Oh, shut it." He snaps, pushing away my hand. I laugh.

"I wonder when you get old if you'll look like that." I say. Fred rolls his eyes.

"I will never look like this." He says, pointing at his face. "I refuse." I laugh again, shaking my head as we enter Gryffindor Tower.

"Whatever. I do miss the red hair, though." He turns around to face me, making me start laughing.

"Whatever." He mumbles, but I can still see him smiling under his beard.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **Four**

We all make our way towards the Great Hall. It's time for the three champions to be chosen. Fred and George, finally back to their normal, young selves, sit down next to us. Dumbledore dims the lights and the ceremony begins. The Fire turns red and spits out a piece of paper. Dumbledore opens it and looks out.

"The Durmstrang champion is…Viktor Krum!" he announces. Everyone cheers. Viktor stands up, shakes Dumbledore's hand, and enters the room behind the Great Hall. The fire turns red again and another piece of paper flies out.

"The Beauxbatons champion is…Fleur Delacour!" The girls scream and Fleur joins Viktor in the room. The fire turns red for the third and final name.

"The Hogwarts Champion….Cedric Diggory!" We all cheer. "That's it!" Dumbledore says. He then tells us that in the end, only one will behold the Tri-Wizard Cup. We all look at the cup, but the teachers are looking somewhere else. Dumbledore turns around and we follow his gaze. The fire in the Goblet is flying around like crazy. The flame turns a bright, blinding red and releases another sheet of paper. He looks at it and mumbles something, then yells loud enough for everyone to hear:

"HARRY POTTER!" The rooms erupts with whispers. People are angry and confused. Harry walks up to Dumbledore, takes his name, and walks back to the room with the rest of the champions. We're all dismissed.

"What the hell?" Fred mutters.

It was decided that Harry had to compete. The first task is today. We stand in a wooden stadium, waiting for it to begin. The first task is dragons.

Harry is the last to go. He has a Hungarian Horntail. He walks out, oblivious that the dragon is right beside him. He then shouts something, but no magic comes out of his wand. He hides behind rocks as the dragon shoots fire at him. Seconds later, he runs out, jumps, and flies off on the Firebolt. He just misses the egg, but continues firing. The dragon breaks free of its chains, chasing after him. It smashes the teachers' side of the stadium. Fred and George cheer.

"Woo! Well done dragon!" They cry. Harry and the dragon disappear from sight. The stadium gets quiet. We are all waiting to see if Harry makes it back. After moments of silence, we see Harry's broomstick come over the horizon. The stadium fills with cheers and Harry grabs the egg.

We celebrate in the Gryffindor common room. The twins hoist Harry up on their shoulders, lifting him high above the rest of us.

"You want me to open it?" Harry asks, waiting for us to cheer in reply. He turns the knob on top of the egg and it opens.

A horrible shrieking noise comes out and we cover our ears. Fred and George end up dropping Harry so they can plug their ears. We scream for him to shut it and he finally does. We all stand back up and uncover our ears.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron cries. All of us look at him. We all know about the drama that's been going down between these two. There's an uncomfortable silence.

"Alright everyone," Fred breaks the silence, "back to your knitting. This is going to be uncomfortable enough without you nosy snots listening in." All of us turn away, giving the two a little bit of privacy. Mona and I walk up to the boys.

"That's was utterly horrible." Mona says, rubbing her ear.

"Easy for you to say. Fred and I were right up next to it." George replies.

"How the hell is that a clue?" Fred asks.

"Don't ask me." I say, holding up my hands.

"At least Potter is the only one who has to figure that out. I never want to hear that again."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **The Yule Ball**

"And that's why I'm sure I'll be quidditch captain next year." Amgelina tells us at breakfast. She's sitting between Fred and George.

"I'd think you'd make a great captain." Mona says, taking a piece of toast out of the holder in the center of the table.

"Yeah, you're the best chaser we've got." Fred chimes in. Angelina looks at him, twirling her hair.

"Really? Thanks, Fred." She replies. They smile at each other. I start chewing my cheeks looking at them. Ron stands up and our attention goes to him. I realize what I'm doing and release my cheeks from between my cheeks.

What is wrong with me?

"They're dress robes!" Hermione cries. The table bursts with laughter.

"Dress robes?" Ron asks, "For what?"

"The Yule Ball has been a tradition of the Tri-Wizard tournament since its inception." McGonagall explains to the whole house. "On Christmas Eve night, we and our guest gather in the Great Hall for a night of well-mannered frivolity." McGonagall continues to explain her expectations of us. "The Yule Ball is, first and fore-most, a dance." All of the girls freak out. Mona turns to me, smiling broadly. She looks over at the twins and George winks at her. She giggles and I smile at her excitement.

McGonagall continues to talk and the twins look at each other, whispering and laughing. McGonagall calls up Ron, since he was talking, to dance with her. The twins cover their mouths to keep from bursting out laughing. When McGonagall has Ron place his hand on her hip though, they can't take it anymore. They start whistling, causing everyone to laugh.

"Everybody come together!" McGonagall commands. The girls practically jump out of their seats. The boys sit and stare for a few seconds, then Neville Longbottom stands up. I now have a new respect for that boy. The rest of the boys soon follow and pair up. Fred and George come over to us. They bow dramatically and dance with us. Well, at least Mona and George are. Fred and I are fooling around, arm's length apart, making every move so over the top that we can't stop laughing. Fred spins me hard and I laugh. Next thing I know I'm on the floor. We looks at me, concerned for a second, before he bursts out laughing. I laugh along too and he offers me his hand. He pulls me up and smiles at me. That's when McGonagall comes over and we pretend we were dancing correctly the whole time. She gives us a look and walks away. I look up at Fred, who is biting back laughter.

"Why, Sir Weasley, you dance divinely." I joke, imitating one of the Beauxbatons. He cracks up, and answers me back.

"I believe we are doing this wrong." He then moves my hand to his waist and his to my shoulder. He clears his throat. "Why," he says in a high squeaky voice, imitating me, "Sir Hitter, you dance divinely." I burst out laughing. We continue to dance incorrectly until McGonagall catches us, making us do it the right way. Soon after she calls for the lesson to end.

Fred goes with brother to get his things. Mona and I grab our bags and join the twins and Angelina as we make our way to study hall. Mona and I sit a little ways down the table from Angelina in the twins because we know the twins will get us into trouble if we sit near them. I open my book and begin writing down the answers to the questions. After about ten minutes I hear Ron talking and I look up. Fred balls up a piece of paper and throws it at Angelina. I quickly finish my sentence and turn back around to see what's going on. Angelina turns and looks at him. He mouths something to her and dances a little bit.

'Do you want to go to the ball with me?' I read his lips. Angelina nods and smiles at him. He winks at Ron. George nudges Fred with his elbow and the two laugh.

"Vera?" Mona asks me, making me look away from them. I realize I was bite my cheeks again. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine, why?" I ask with a straight face, trying to cover up the pit that has formed in my stomach. I don't know what is wrong with me today.

"Well, uh, you got ink all over your hand from clutching your quill so tightly." She gestures to my right hand. I look down and sure enough, the tip of the quill is broken in my palm, ink covering my hand. I sigh and close my book. I was almost done anyway.

"Oops." I shrug. Mona looks at me as I stand up.

"Vera-"

"I'll see you back at the common room." I cut her off and walk away. Angelina is whispering to a girl when I walk by, smiling as big as can be. I feel the pit go deeper and walk faster. I reach the common room, which is for the most part empty and sit down in the windowsill. I wipe my hand on my robe and look out the window. The clouds are blocking out the sun, but it is still bright out. A few seconds later, a raindrop hits the window. I watch as the rain begins to pour on the grounds. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn around. Mona is standing there, setting down her bag.

"Vera, you won't believe it. George asked me to the dance after you left!" She beams. I smile meekly back at her and look back out the window.

"That's great." I say, the words feeling like fire on my tongue.

"What's wrong, Vera?" she asks, looking down at me. I turn back around.

"Nothing. I'm fine." I quickly respond. She looks at me.

"No, you're not. Come on, Vera, talk to me."

"I said I'm fine!" I stand up, making her jump back a little. Just then, a group of kids from Study Hall, including Angelina and the twins come in. Mona turns around and stands next to me. I cross my arms, not smiling. Mona waves at George, who waves back smiling. Fred is talking to Angelina. I feel my face heat up and the pit return to my stomach. I turn around, facing my back towards them. Mona turns her attention from the twins to me.

"Vera? Why did you leave Study Hall?" she asks. I look over my shoulder a little bit at her. She's not looking at me. I turn around a little bit more and see she's looking at George again. Out of the corner of my eye I see Fred and Angelina. I clutch my robe a little bit tighter. Mona looks back at me.

"I just-" I start but Angelina's laugh makes me stop. I bite down hard on my cheeks and Mona looks at me, then over at Angelina. Angelina looks over at us and I turn away, taking a deep breath and looking up at the ceiling.

"Oh my God." Mona says suddenly, as if she had come upon a revelation. She walks up beside me and looks at me. "You like Fred." As soon as she speaks those words, I feel like the pit explodes, and I don't know what to say. I look at her.

"What?"

"That's why you left, because Fred asked Angelina. You like Fred."

"I, I don't know." I stammer. I mean, I guess that would explain what's been going on with me lately. But I didn't think it was because of that.

"Yes, you do. You're biting your cheeks. You only do that when you're upset."

"So?"

"Vera, I know." She states. "If I know it, than you know it."

"Well it doesn't matter at all now, does it?" With that, I go upstairs and collapse on my bed, staring up at the ceiling.

What is going on with me?


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Christmas Eve**

"Well, what do you think?" Mona asks, coming out from behind the screen in the dormitory. Her dress is pink, with a satin waistband. Her hair is down and curled, half of it in a bun on top of her head. Around the bun is a silver and floral band. She twirls and the dress fans out, like what you'd expect from a princess movie. I smile.

"Like a princess." I reply. She clasps her hands and hugs me. She backs up and looks at me.

"Stand up. Let me see you!" She commands. I stand up and spin slowly. I cross my arms and slouch, looking at her. She smiles at me. "You look great." She says to me, but I don't smile. I don't really feel like going at all.

My dress is red with a gold ribbon waistband. It has a square neckline with gold trimming. The sleeves are short and see through. My hair is pulled back in the front, curled, and pinned to one side. I wear a gold necklace with a sparkly pendant in the middle.

"No, I don't."

"Vera, you do. I'm sure Warren will agree." Warren Givens, a Gryffindor in the year above us, asked me to go. He wanted to go with Romilda Vane, a girl 2 years younger than us, but she was already taken. I was pretty much a last resort for him.

"Whatever." I say. "Let's just go." Mona and I head downstairs. Fred and George are standing at the bottom of the stairs. Fred has his arms linked with Angelina. Mona and I get to the bottom of the stairs and the twin look at us.

"Wow." George whispers before pulling Mona in for a kiss. She giggles and pulls back, smiling.

"Thank you." She says. I look around the common room for Warren, but I don't see him. I turn back to the twins.

"Have you seen Warren?" I ask.

"Warren Givens?" Fred asks. "You're going with him?"

"He asked me." I reply. Fred nods and smiles.

"Good for you. And no, haven't seen him. I assume he's still upstairs."

I nod. I stand there and the four of them look around. I know what they're thinking.

"Go ahead." I say, "I'll catch up." They smile.

"Are you sure?" Angelina asks me. I smile at her.

"Yeah. Go on ahead. You look beautiful by the way." And I mean it. She looks absolutely stunning in her purple dress. She smiles.

"Thank you." The four of them turn and walk out together. I watch them leave and look back towards the stairs, waiting. After about five minutes, I hear footsteps on the stairs and turn around. Lee Jordan stops when he sees me.

"Wow, Vera, looking good." He says.

"Thanks." I say, almost like a habit. His date comes down the stairs and he starts to walk away. "Hey, Jordan!" I call after him. He turns around. "Was Warren still up there?"

"Warren Givens?" I nod. "Oh no, he left ages ago with Romilda. Apparently her date got sick. I was the only one left upstairs who was going." He shrugs and walks off, holding hands with his date. I look around the empty common room.

I should just go back upstairs, get ready for bed, but I know Mona will come looking for me and kill me. I twirl the charm on my necklace, thinking. I start walking and stop only when I get to the doors of the Great Hall. Everyone is dancing together. With one final twirl of my necklace, I walk in, some of the couples staring at me as I walk in alone. I stop and lean against the wall, watching everyone dance.

I've been sitting at a table pretty much the whole time, just watching. McGonagall, who has been patrolling the room, walks up to me.

"Everything alright, Vera?" She asks me. I look up. "Where's your date?"

"I don't have one."

"Oh. Well you can still dance and have a good time. I'm sure there are boys here who would love to dance with you. You look lovely." She tells me. I smile but don't believe her.

"Thanks." I did dance with one first year. He was from Hufflepuff and nearly collapsed when I asked him. The poor kid was so tiny, his head was barely above my waist. After one dance, I sent him back to his friends. Almost all of the free little girls ran up to him, and his friends were amazed. It was fun to make that kid happy, and I watch as he takes another girl out onto the dancefloor.

I sit back down, resuming my watching. George and Mona are right in front of me, a few feet away. Fred and Angelina are couple feet away from them. It's painful to Mona and George, because all I can see is a reflection. What me and Fred could have been.

Finally, after an hour of watching, I'm done. I came, I danced, that's all I had to do to make Mona happy. Why bother even staying? I'm just making myself feel bad. I walk up to Mona and George, who are slow dancing.

"I'm heading back to the house." I tell her. She stops dancing and turns to me.

"But Vera, it's only 10 o'clock. The dance is only halfway over. What about-" she looks around me and then at me. "Where's Warren?" I point to a couple behind her.

"Ditched me for Romilda last minute." George looks from him to me.

"Want me to beat him up for ya?" He offers. I smile, shaking my head.

"Nah. He's not worth it."

"You could join us if you want." Mona attempts to get me to stay.

"Nah, I'm tired. Have fun, though."

"Alright." Mona concedes. "I'm glad you came." I nod.

"Goodnight." I turn and leave the Hall. I get back to the common room, which is as empty as I left it. I lean against the wall, looking out the window. Snowflakes are falling from the sky. I watch as they fall, shimmering in the torch light.

I think about Fred and Angelina, dancing the night away. The pit in my stomach returns and my face heats up. I touch my cheeks. They're wet.

I hear the portrait door open and someone walk inside. I ignore them, focusing on the snow. It's just gonna another couple coming in for the night.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Someone asks from behind me. I turn around and see Fred standing there alone, his dress jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Fred? What are you doing here? Where's Angelina?" I ask, wiping my face so he can't see my tears. It's dim in the room, except for the small fire and the windows.

"She ran off with a group of friends. Said she was done dancing for the night. And I saw you leave. I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Oh." I turn back to the window because my eyes won't stop leaking.

"What about Warren? He treat you well?"

"He went with Romilda." He looks at me.

"Really? He ditched you?" I nod. He shakes his head. "I'm sorry about Warren." He says, walking up to me. I sniff. "Hey, are you crying?" He spins me around to face him. I look down, wiping away the tears.

"I guess so." I reply, twirling my necklace.

"Why?" There it is. The question I knew he'd be asking. Dammit. If only he had just walked upstairs and left me alone.

"Because my date asked me as a last resort then ditched me, McGonagall called me out on not having a date, I look ugly in this dress, people keep looking sad when I walk by, and I didn't even want to go to this stupid dance in the first place because the person I wanted to go with went with someone else!" I practically scream at him, tears coming out of my eyes faster. He looks at me, sympathetically. "Just like that." I say, looking down at the ground. He just stands there for a moment and then speaks.

"Look at me." He says softly. I don't move. "Look up at me." He says with a little bit more force in his voice. I slowly look up at him. "I need you to listen to me." I look away from him, out towards the window. "Hey!" He grabs my face and turns it so I'm facing him. He wipes away my tears with his thumbs.

"You are not a last resort. Not for Warren, not for me, not for anyone. Warren ditched you because he's a nasty git and couldn't handle how awesome you are. People only looked sympathetically at you because they knew you deserved better. You look amazing." I smile at him when he says this. "And whoever you wanted to go with who went with someone else, he's an idiot." I look down, embarrassed. "I'm an idiot." I look up, confused and startled.

"What?"

"I'm an idiot." He reiterates. "I'm sorry." He lets go of my face and I look down at the floor while he looks up. "Hey." He says, pointing up. I follow his finger. A plant is growing out of the ceiling above us. "Mistletoe." I look back down, unable to look at him.

"Mistletoe." I mumble. I get ready to walk away. Fred reaches for me and lifts up my face, hand still on my chin. He looks at me, his face inches from mine.

"Mistletoe." He whispers before closing the gap between us. I'm in shock when his lips connect with mine and I'm exactly sure what to do. His arms wrap around my waist and mine go around his neck, pulling him closer. We kiss until we run out of breath. The mistletoe has turned into a bush above us.

"Fred, I-"

"I told you," he stops me, "I'm the idiot." And our lips connect again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Second Task**

"Place your bets here! Place your bets!" Fred yells.

"Come on, now, don't be shy!" George yells. The two continue yelling.

"Four people."

"Three men, one lady."

"Will they all come up?"

"Why are you so mean?" Ginny asks them, walking away.

"Fred, George, come on. We're going to miss the task." Mona says. They turn around to face her.

"But the bets-"

"You can still do them on the lake, now come on!" The twins reluctantly follow us to a boat and we ride over to the platforms. Mona and George won't stop talking about the ball on the way over there. Fred and I just kinda look at each other and then look away.

It's been a little awkward between us since the night of the ball. What started out as a horrible night for me ended amazingly.

Fred and I kissed. Multiple times. The Mistletoe was almost touching Fred's head when we finally stopped for good. We awkwardly bid each other goodnight and went our separate ways. And things haven't gotten any better between us.

Luckily, no one knows what happened besides the two of us. That makes it a little bit easier. I just hope Mona doesn't suspect anything, and I pray Angelina doesn't know either. She stills likes Fred, I can tell by the way she bites her lip when she looks at him, or twirls her hair when she talks to him. Fred doesn't avoid her or anything, they just talk like friends would.

We reach the platforms in the lake and step out of the boats. The event begins and the the champions jump in. Well, Harry falls in. And now, we wait.

"We'll be back. We're gonna sell more bets." Fred tells Mona and me.

"Alright. Enjoy yourselves." Mona says, waving to them. They walk off. Mona looks at me.

"What?"

"Still upset about Fred? You two don't seem to talk much anymore."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, really, I am. Fred and I are good." I answer.

"You know, after you left the ball, Fred was asking me if you left. He said he had spotted you and was wondering where you were going. I told him of course. He then proceeded to leave the ball and go look for you."

"Oh, yeah."

"And I assume he found you because he never came back. Did you guys talk?"

"Uh, yeah, we talked. Figured some stuff out."

"Like what?"

"Um, uh-" The stands erupt with noise, and we look down to see Fleur being pulled out of the water. She doesn't have anything with her. She's eliminated from the task.

Moments later, Cedric Diggory completes the task. He has Cho Chang with him. Everyone cheers. Viktor Krum and Hermione Granger follow afterwards. We wait for Harry, looking for him as we stare at the black water. With a little time left on the clock, Ron and Fleur's sister surface, but there is no sign of Harry. We watch and wait. Finally, he shoots out of the water and onto the platform. For saving both his and Fleur's trophies, he receives second place. The event is over and we all make our way back to the castle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Cedric and the Maze**

"On the count of three." Dumbledore says, beginning the third task. "One-" The canon fires, signaling the start. The champions make their way into the maze.

"This event must really be something. Dad and Mr. Diggory are here to watch." Fred says to George.

"I'm just wondering how hard it must be in there. There are probably hundreds of dead ends and wrong turns." George replies.

The crowd eventually dies down. We all stare at the maze, waiting for something, anything to happen. After some time, red sparks fly into the air on the left side of the maze. Fleur Delacour is returned to the start, breathily heavily. She hugs her sister and joins us in waiting for the others.

"What do you think it's like in there?" Fred speaks to me. I turn and look at him, then back at the maze.

"Dark, Cold, scary. Despair whenever you hit a dead end. Fear in case something is chasing after you. That's what I'm guessing."

At that moment, there's a flash of light and Harry and Cedric appear out of nowhere. Everyone gets on their feet and cheers. There's singing, hugging, dancing. The band is playing. Everyone is celebrating. Harry and Cedric stay on the ground. Suddenly, Fleur screams. The teachers get up and run over to Harry and Cedric. Something isn't right. Dumbledore tries to pry Harry off of Cedric, but it does nothing. I suddenly realize what's happened.

"God," I say, barely above a whisper, "he's dead." Cedric's father runs over to his son's body and cries out over and over again. He wails, clutching his son.

"My boy! That's my boy!" He cries over and over. Fred and George run down t their dad before the teachers tell us to stay where we are. Krum returns from the maze, just as shocked as we are. Mad Eye Moody takes Harry away, and rest of us just watch helplessly as Cedric is removed from the field. After his body is gone, we slowly make our way out of the stands. Mona and I meet up with Fred and George. Mona cries into George's chest. Fred pulls me into his arms and rests his chin on my head. Mr. Weasley walks up to us, looking at his sons.

"I can't even imagine how I'd feel if it had been one of you." He tells them. Fred smiles sadly at his dad.

"Don't worry, Dad." Fred says, "we'll never die on you."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

 **Funeral**

The Great Hall is silent. The banners are black. Nobody moves or speaks besides Dumbledore. He sits in his chair, unsure of what to say. He finally stands.

"Today we acknowledge a terrible loss. Cedric Diggory was, as you all know, exceptionally hard working, infinitely open minded, and, most importantly, a fierce, fierce friend. And I think you have the right to know exactly how he died. You see, Cedric Diggory was murdered! By Lord Voldemort!" He continues to talk to us, telling us Cedric did not die in vain, and that we should always remember him.

After the funeral, we say goodbye to the students from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. They take off on their journey home. Mona and I finally meet up with Fred and George. We had sat separately at the funeral.

"You guys alright?" Fred asks us. We nod. He opens his arms and I walk into them, accepting his embrace. He looks down at me and smiles. He pecks me on the forehead and I hear Mona clear her throat.

"So, anything you want to tell us?" She asks, raising her eyebrows. Fred and I stop hugging but he keeps his arm around my shoulder. He laughs nervously and wipes a hand over his face.

"Come on," he says, "we're gonna miss the train."


End file.
